The Best Friend's Role
by MangaManiac6
Summary: A best friend is there to be supportive, give advice, and always have the other's back, even if it means losing them to someone else. That is the best friend's role. One sided RukaxNatsume and very minor One sided KokoxSumire. Slash. For the TR contest.


**Summary:** A best friend is there to be supportive, give advice, and always have the other's back, even if it means losing them to someone else. _That _is the best friend's role.

**Pairing: **One sided RukaxNatsume and minor one sided KokoxSumire. Slash. You have been warned, _twice._

**Genre: **Angst/Romance

**Rated: **T just for the minor curse words and minor kiss. Not even worth it but just in case.

**Warning:** This is slash. As in, boy likes boy. If you don't like it, don't read it. Simple. Any reviews about how gays are icky, wrong, etc. will be deleted immediately. Also there's some minor curses- at most, twice.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Gakuen Alice, just this story. Also, Rory's Chips is something I made up about five minutes ago, unless that actually exists. If it does, I don't own it either.

* * *

**The Best Friend's Role**

**MangaManiac6**

"I hate being tied down by rules. I hate people telling me what to do and how to do it. That's why I write." –MM6

Ruka Nogi and Natsume Hyuuga have always been best friends. Ruka couldn't even remember a time when he didn't have Natsume by his side, and from day one, there had been complete trust and faith between them. They were supportive of each other's dreams and everything. They were the ideal pair of friends.

It wasn't until Ruka turned eleven when he realized that the feelings he had for his best friend were ones that one would not normally have for their best friend. They were much more, and it scared Ruka to death.

Ruka knew very well that he shouldn't have these feelings. He knew perhaps better than anyone. He could remember it, clear as crystal. He was nine years old, about to go around the elementary dorm, just about to turn the corner, when he heard a loud smack, then groans of pain and exasperated pleas. Ruka peeked around the corner to see a middle school student, bruised and bleeding on the floor, probably out cold. About five boys the same age surrounded the boy, laughing maliciously.

"What he gets, homo bastard." The biggest one chortled.

Ruka could only remember sprinting off in the other direction, ignoring passersby asking him if he was alright, eyes spilling with tears and panting. Of course Ruka was yet to discover his own feelings, but it had still horrified him- scared the shit out of him. He hadn't ever been able to forget that day.

So of course when he found himself watching Natsume, eyeing him whenever he could, he was scared. He realized he was the same as the middle school student all those years ago, and that if anyone found out about his feelings, he would end up the same way too.

Ruka tried fruitlessly to get rid of his feelings. He tried to fall in love with girls, but it never worked. The closest he ever got was with Mikan Sakura, a new transfer student with bouncing brown pigtails and, according to Natsume, childish underwear. But once he kissed her, he knew, he couldn't do it. Girls just weren't for him. Boys weren't really either. It was just Natsume Hyuuga.

But Ruka couldn't let Natsume know. Imagine, Ruka telling Natsume, his best friend, he was in love with him. If either Ruka or Natsume was a girl, this would have been a touching romantic situation. Natsume would find Ruka disgusting. He would distance himself from Ruka, maybe even hurt him like the students did to their classmate. Ruka couldn't bare loosing Natsume or having him hate him.

So Ruka Nogi contented himself with being the "best friend". It was fine with him; he was close to Natsume all the time and Natsume would be happy. That was all that mattered to Ruka, but, "It's absolutely not fair!"

Koko looked up from his magazine. They were in Ruka's three star bedroom, Koko himself lying on the couch with a manga and Ruka sprawled out on the bed, cramming fists full of Rory's Chips in his mouth. It was Ruka's favorites and he always ate it when he was upset. Actually, he ate it whenever, wherever- an unhealthy obsession at best. "You mean about Natsume? Ruka, how long are you going to think about this?"

Kokoro Yome was the only who knew about Ruka. He himself had an unrequited love for Sumire Shouda, and knew how it felt to love, but not be loved. Obviously, his mind-reading alice had alerted him to the situation. Since then, they had become rather good friends. Whenever Natsume was busy, Koko was a good friend to hang out with.

"As long as I live, probably." Ruka sighed.

"Well, thinking about it won't help."

"I know that very well, Koko."

"Do you?" Did he? Ruka knew it was useless. Natsume was straight as an arrow, and there was no helping that. But still, Ruka couldn't help it.

"Maybe not."

"If you're going to agonize about it- and interrupt my reading- why don't you just tell the guy?" Koko asked. Honestly, it was like dealing with a teenage girl.

Ruka sprang up, "Are you _insane_? I can't _tell _him! I couldn't even be friends with him if I did!"

"How do you know? Maybe Natsume swings that way. Have you ever seen him going out with a girl?"

Ruka fell back on the bed, "No, but he definitely likes Mikan. I can just tell. I know you can too, mind-reading alice aside. He's just being a stubborn fool for not telling her."

"Or maybe he has no interest in her? You never know unless you try, Ruka."

"I _do _know, Koko. He'll be disgusted, people will find out, and I'll be out casted. It might not look like it, but I'd rather not be hated by the entire student body."

"Not everyone's a homophobe, Ruka. Take me for example."

"But you're _you, _Koko. I don't think it's possible for you to hate anyone."

"Hm… Fair point, but you still never know."

Ruka flipped to his side, facing the opposite wall and putting his back to Koko. _You never know, you know!_

* * *

Ruka was sitting on a stump just outside the northern woods. Natsume had asked to meet him, though he had no idea why. If Natsume was a girl, this might have been a love confession; the girl asking the guy to come to a secret spot and ask him out scenario. That would make Natsume the girl, though. Ruka laughed out loud at the absurdity of such an idea.

"You seem cheerful."

Ruka shrieked in a manly sort of way, fell off the stump he was sitting on, and looked up. _Smooth Ruka, real smooth._

Natsume was too close, only a couple of inches away. "Natsume, hey!" Was his voice normal? It must be too high, or something. Ruka took Natsume's offered hand, and sat back on the stump.

"Yo." Natsume sat next to him on the stump.

"So what's up? You never call me out like this." Ruka could hear his heart thumping madly inside his chest. _Shut up! _Natsume must be able to hear it too.

"I- I have a question." Oh god, Natsume was actually blushing, just a bit at his ears. Ruka didn't know if he could take it.

"What is it, Natsume? You know you can tell me anything." Ruka said, smiling. It felt so faked.

"Well, it isn't easy for me to say, ya know?" Natsume looked at his shoes. Did he want Ruka to kiss him or something? "I like someone, but I'm not sure how to tell them. You know, the person doesn't think I like them."

Ruka blinked. Mikan, unless she was completely blind, which Ruka wouldn't put past her, could not possibly _not _tell Natsume liked her. It was written all over his face, 24/7. So, could Natsume, actually like someone else? And if he did, who? Ruka couldn't think of anyone else Natsume could possibly have a crush on. He wasn't close to many people. There was only Yo-chan, who's only three years old, Aoi, who's his sister, Mikan, and... himself.

Wait, Ruka was an option? But Ruka was a guy, and Natsume was a guy. But this was a person that might not know Natsume's true feelings, and if Natsume did have certain true feelings, Ruka was definitely not aware of them. "D- Do you? That's a surprise. Can I ask who?" If only he could get Natsume to say it.

_Say "Ruka"._

"It's… Well, it's… Ruka I—"

Ruka shut his eyes, waiting to hear Mikan's name, but then he heard his own name and that could only mean one thing. Everything was okay now. "I do too!" Ruka cried, his face flushing and smiling his biggest smile possible.

The raven stared at his best friend, "You like Mikan too? Not that I can be shocked, you were kinda obvious but I thought you gave up."

Ruka blinked. He blinked more and more until tears began to form. "What?"

"I was gonna say, 'Ruka, I like Mikan.'"

Oh.

"Oh." Ruka said. It was all he could say. His mind had gone completely blank. Why hadn't he waited to the end of the sentence? He felt like an idiot. "I'm happy for you, Natsume."

And oh god, Natsume was _smiling_; a smile that took the breath of anybody away, straight or not. "Thanks. I was wondering if you could give me advice, you know?"

"Yeah, Natsume, well, all I can say is just tell her."

"That's all?" He looked slightly disappointed.

"Yeah, she'll be glad to hear it. I promise."

Natsume shrugged, "Okay I'll take your word for it. Hey... Are you crying?"

Ruka felt something drip on his hand. His tears were finally spilling out. "N- No, sorry, I have to go, but…"

He bent down, and just lightly, so that he barely touched him, kissed him on the cheek. Ruka pulled back, waiting for something. An angry yell, a slap to the face, malicious laughter, _something._

But Natsume just looked stunned, eyes wide, mouth open, his hand covering his cheek.

_Don't look at me like that._

Ruka turned on his heel and ran- ran as fast as he could across the field until he reached the elementary dorms. He leaned against the brick wall, panting and tears streaming down his face.

_Why did I do it?_

Ruka was a complete idiot- he had ruined everything he had with Natsume. They couldn't talk to each other, skip out on Narumi's classes together, pass notes to each other when Jinno's classes got too boring to bare- shoot, they couldn't even be best friends anymore. Natsume could no longer trust Ruka.

And Ruka had known Natsume liked Mikan. He knew it without Natsume even saying anything. And yet he'd gone and done it.

Ruka slowly slipped down to the floor. He could faintly hear the roars of thunder and looked up. Gray clouds were fluttering quickly towards the building. It would figure the weather would contribute in its own way to make his day worse.

But Ruka couldn't even think about himself. All he could think about was Natsume. Natsume, his best friend, the one he had betrayed. He had failed Natsume. He was supposed to be the one that Natsume could trust to be supportive, the one who could give advice, and always have his back no matter what.

_That _was his role as his best friend.

And Ruka couldn't even be that anymore. Ruka lowered his head, blond hair just shadowing his face from any pedistrians happening to pass by.

This was all love's fault. Love had made him have these feelings for Natsume that had destroyed everything. He hated it.

* * *

I really feel bad for Ruka when I wrote this. He's one of my favorites (besides Koko) and I hate making him sad.

Well, this is my submission for the TR contest. I questioned whether to do slash, since it isn't really popular in the GA fandom, but they allowed it, and I honestly like slash better than hetero anyway.

Also, ignore my random quote in the beginning.

Reviews, as always, are appreciated.

Edit: I a reviewer told me that the ending need some tweaking so I tried to make it a bit more dramatic. If you have already read this, can you tell me if it's any better?

-MM6


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